In a pan heat ghee. Add cloves and cardamom. When they start to crackle add finely grated beetroot. Cook beetroot till it changes its colour. Now add Sooji and cook the mix of Sooji and Beetroot till sooji changes its colour. (This is slightly tricky, so one can cook beetroot and sooji separately, sooji should turn light brown, and then mix them together).

Add water. Add sugar, jaggery and cinnamon and almond oil. Cook till it starts leaving the sides of the pan (takes up Halwa like consistency).

Garnish with dry fruits and serve.

P.S. – One can completely do away with sugar and use only jaggery or vice versa. Sweetness can be adjusted according to the taste. In case almond oil is not available one can use almond essence (almond essence would just give the flavour but would not have the health benefits of almond oil).

A simple twist to the regular sooji halwa for the winters. This one is slightly on a sweeter side with the sugar being almost ¾ in quantity of sooji. You can reduce the sugar as per your liking or opt for gur or jiggery which would give the halwa a caramalised taste.

Ingredients

Sooji / Rawa – 1 cup

Sesame Seeds (white/nylon) – 2 spoons

Almond essence – 4-5 drops

Sugar- ¾ cup

Cinnamon – 1-2 cm stick

Green Cardamom – 1-2

Beetroot – ¼ cup finely grated

Dry Fruits (like raisins, chopped almonds, chopped cashew nut)

Water – 4-5 cups

Desi Ghee – 2-3 table spoons

Method

In a mortar pestle roughly ground cardamom and cinnamon. Now in a non stick pan, slightly roast grated beetroot (the colour would darken). Keep aside. In a non stick pan, add ghee. When the ghee becomes hot add the spices. After 2-3 minutes add sooji and roast it till it changes it colour. Now slowly add water to avoid lumps. Add sugar and beetroot. Reduce heat to minimum. Keep stirring. After some time the mixture would become like a paste. Now add sesame seeds and dry fruits and stir for a few minutes more till the halwa leaves the sides of the pan.